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12 Sep 2014

10 questions for journalists

There are a number of pressing questions concerning the mainstream medias involvement in the underhanded activities of the National party and their attack bloggers, secret government activity that was insightfully outlined in Nicky Hager's groundbreaking book, Dirty Politics.

Giovanni Tiso

These questions are even more relevant now that the source of the information the book was based on, Rawshark, has chosen not to release any further details to the public. He or she has instead provided all the hard data to various media outlets, which have to date chosen to remain completely silent about any further undemocratic behaviour the public clearly has a vested interest in knowing about.

So in regards to the MSM's complicity in the Dirty Politics scandal and their unwillingness to further enlighten the public about what has occurred, here are some very relevant questions by Giovanni Tiso that they might like to perhaps answer:

Ralston has left us until the election. Gower thinks Twitter is no longer fun. A few questions about dirty politics and the media, then.

1. A system was in place for subverting the political process. We have been told repeatedly and haughtily that everyone knew about it.

2. If everyone knew about it, why wasn’t the public told? I agree with Matt Nippert: journalism failed us on this one.

3. This is why the blanket defense of journalism against its critics is distasteful. The media were the third track.

4. If there was a failure, where are the consequences: has any political editor, reporter or commentator resigned?

5. Has any newspaper or TV editor signalled a change in the way things will be done and whom will be asked for comment on politics & policy?

6. It seems to me that none of this has occurred. All the media people mentioned in the book are still employed, including Glucina & Hooton.

7. The Panel carries on inviting representatives of fake organizations that have exposed by Hager as government attack dogs, and so forth.

8. Similarly, the highly-placed journos who ridiculed the story on day 1 are still holding court a month and several stages of grief later.

9. I hope there are some VERY robust discussions going on behind the scenes about the need for the industry to change.

10. Until then, all calls to stop being critical of journalists and journalism should be treated as the tone-based derails they are. ENDS.

Personally I think Giovanni Tiso's questions deserve some answers. If they're not forthcoming, as I suspect they won't be, then we can expect that the MSM is going to carry on like it's business as usual...we can expect them to allow the National parties dirty politics to continue poisoning our political system for the foreseeable future.